Ladies first in Formel ADAC 'academy'

Reports from the Zandvoort paddock

Beitske Visser first female driver to win a Formel ADAC race. Marvin Kirchhöfer makes it three podiums out of three.

There were two premieres for the price of one, as the ADAC springboard for the future stars made its first visit to the former F1 circuit at Zandvoort, and as 17-year-old local heroine Beitske Visser (17, NL, Lotus) became the first woman to win a race since the series was launched in 2008. 8,500 spectators flocked through the gates of Circuit Park Zandvoort over the three days of the ADAC Masters Weekend to watch the talented youngsters compete in no fewer than three races and to cheer the Lotus driver on to her 'maiden' win.

Women to the fore: Beitske Visser is the only woman in the current Formel ADAC line-up, but in her home race at Zandvoort, she showed that she is every bit as fast as her male opponents. After colliding with a barrier in qualifying on Saturday, Visser was taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray check-up. But that wasn't going to stop the 17-year-old from climbing back into her cockpit on Sunday and winning the third race: "My back was hurting after the accident in qualifying, but it's funny how a race win can blot out the pain."

More woman power: Before Visser came on the scene, Emma Kimiläinen and Andrina Gugger were the most successful female drivers in Formel ADAC. In Assen 2008, Kimiläinen finished on the podium in second place. Gugger finished the 2010 season opener at Oschersleben in fifth place. This year, the 21-year-old Swiss national is contesting the ADAC GT Masters, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 R for the FACH AUTO TECH team.

Joy for the home fans: Beitske Visser and Indy Dontje racked up a respectable points haul in their home race. Visser finished in the points in two out of the three races. Meanwhile, Lotus team-mate Dontje improved on his performance in the season opener at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben - from which he went home empty-handed - by scoring points in all three races, much to the delight of his local following.

Pursuit of the weekend: Gustav Malja (16, SWE, Neuhauser Racing) mounted perhaps the most spectacular charge of the weekend in Race 3. After starting from 13th on the grid, the Swede muscled his way past eleven other drivers to finish as runner-up. "I felt like I was flying through the field," he said.

Trophy collector: Marvin Kirchhöfer (18, Leipzig, Lotus) has not had much success in the past on the 'Dune Rollercoaster' at Zandvoort. "I've recently been enjoying my driving here a lot more," he confides. Two wins, two pole positions, two fastest race laps and five successful passing moves in a single race may well have contributed to his growing affection for the former F1 venue.

Well-matched competitors: The first two race weekends of the 2012 Formel ADAC season have produced four winners from four different countries: Marvin Kirchhöfer (Germany), Thomas Jäger (Austria), Kuba Dalewski (Poland) and Beitske Visser (Netherlands). The 18 available podium spots were shared out amongst nine drivers.